Music: A Dream worth Pursuing

While there are some rare exceptions, the general trend in North America seems to be that people won’t support you in your goals, dreams and businesses (even if it would benefit them, as it often does). There are other cultures where this is not the case, but it seems that your family and your friends are the last ones to jump on the wagon to rally behind you. Why is that?

You’ve probably heard the expression, “crabs in a bucket” (also known as crab mentality). When you throw a bunch of crabs in a bucket, they realize that they are trapped. One of them eventually looks up and sees that there is a way out, and there is a world beyond. What happens when he crawls up and tries to escape? The others start to pull him back down!

I don’t share this to spread the negativity epidemic. There is enough negativity and pessimism out there in the world without me adding to it. I share this to encourage you in your dreams. Making your dreams a reality will likely involve overcoming fear and obstacles. There will be naysayers, and you will have to persist in the face of criticism. Alas, un-supportive family members and friends comes with the territory. Challenge is a part of success; you should expect it.

Sadly, there will be people who will try to pull you down as you are trying to go up. That’s life. There are others who will not support you or ignore you completely. Don’t let them get you down, because you are making them realize something about their selves. It’s easier for them to try to pull you back down to their level than it is to struggle to realize their own dreams. Dreams take work. A lot of people are lazy. The only way to earn their respect is to keep going and keep doing what you know you should do. Quitting will only convince them of the pretense that dreams are a waste of time.

Those who say it can’t be done should not interrupt those who are doing it. Success in any endeavor takes significant time and effort. If it was easy, everybody would have done it. You don’t need another lecture on “the odds”. If you can’t imagine living without music, then you have to follow your heart. You have to keep going, even when nothing seems to be happening.

David Andrew Wiebe has built an extensive career in songwriting, live performance, recording, session playing, production work, investing, and music instruction. In addition to helping musicians unlock their full potential, he also continues to maintain a performance schedule with Long Jon Lev and Adrenalize. If you'd like to be notified whenever the blog is updated, click here to subscribe.